Sweet Chestnut Spread

Some people also call this Sweet Chestnut Jam – but in my head jams are often fruity and this recipe reminds me more of a Nutella style spread.

If you’re looking for something with a little less sugar why not check out our Sweet Chesnut butter recipe here.

This Spread is a great and interesting way to use up and preserve the abundant sweet chestnuts during their high season in October. I often like to eat it straight on bread but there are quite a few interesting ways in which you could utilise this spread.

This sweet chestnut satay sauce or sweet chestnut and Thai red curry or a sweet chestnut and roasted dandelion root ice cream. I’m actually getting a little bit hungry haha

Ingredients (to make 3-4 average size jars):

  • 500g sweet chestnut
  • 300g white sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to the highest setting you have or 400C
  2. Cut an x into the skin of each sweet chestnut and place on a tray and in the oven – leave to cook for 15-20 minutes
  3. OR – Cut an x into the skin of each sweet chestnut and place in the microwave for 1 minute
  4. Whilst still warm but not piping hot-peel the skins and remove any fur off the chestnuts.
  5. Place in a strong blender and blitz the peeled nuts with 100ml boiling water and blend until smooth enough to pass through a sieve (usually about 5 minutes depending on the power of your blender)
  6. Add the mix to a pan (that’s right you didn’t actually pass it through a sieve) and add the sugar and scraped vanilla pod seeds..
  7. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and enjoy hot or cold.

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